The Gardevoir Saga
by ArchAngelSintic
Summary: Hi there, this is my first ever fanfic, so any feedback is appreciated. My story follows James, an 18 year old boy who saves a ralts, and in turn, begin their adventure together. But when Team Magma is after a mysterious stone he acquired, how far will he go to protect those he cares about? Rated M for Eventual Gardevoir x Trainer scenes, though my story wont focus only on it.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1: A New Friend**

Today would appear the same as any other. My parents have ordered me around, keeping me busy for the entire day. Today, they've sent me off to Slateport City to pick up a parcel for them. They refuse to tell me what it contains, only telling me that I am not allowed to look inside it, and that it needs to be brought back to them by the end of tomorrow. I decided to leave early this morning, hitting the road before dawn broke. Although I live in Mauville City, it's still quite a ways to Slateport, so I wanted to make sure I didn't fall behind. What I didn't realize is that this day would change my life, as well as the life of my future partner.

I suppose I should introduce myself. My name is James. I'm eighteen years old, I have blue eyes, blonde hair, with a splatter of freckles across my face, and I'm five feet eleven inches tall. I'm quite shy, so I've never had many friends, and the ones I have had never lasted long. I was never much for sports, or, should I say, my parents were never interested in allowing me to play sports, so my life mainly revolved around my home and the daycare my parents run. My parents run the pokemon daycare just west of Mauville, on the south side of the route, which provides a decent income for them, though they've never chosen to share said income with me, or even give me an allowance. So for simplicities sake, I'm poor, they're not. However, I've kept you long enough and I suppose I should continue the story.

The journey to Slateport went smoothly enough. I took the bicycle road to avoid the tall grass, and the pokemon contained within it. My bicycle was the one luxury my parents provided me, and it was more for their sake, as it let me cut my travel time down to a third of what it once was. Once I arrived at Slateport, I made my way to the building with the ocean-blue roof, indicating that it is a pokemart. I entered the building, and approached the counter to find Bill, the owner of the pokemart, awaiting my arrival. He greeted me with the usual "Hey James, what's crackin?" he's odd like that. I informed him that I came for my parents parcel, and that I unfortunately didn't have the time to chat. Nodding, he went to retrieve the parcel from the back room. After a few moments of absence, he returned, parcel in hand. After paying for it, I stuffed it into my backpack, and made my way outside.

I paused for a moment, taking in the fresh sea air. It was a beautiful day, the sun was shining, the wingulls were circling in the sky, and there was even a pleasant breeze, dragging the sweet smells of the florist's shop down the road towards me, washing over my body with a feeling of peacefulness. With a sigh, I got back upon my bicycle, preparing to make the journey home. I checked the time, seeing it was only 4 p.m. I realized I was way ahead of schedule, so I decided to take a detour through the back streets of the city, hopefully exploring a few places I've never been before. I decided to explore an alley by the new apartment complex on the west side of town. It was a nice section of town. New buildings everywhere, trees planted at regular intervals in little dirt plots in the sidewalk, and most everyone had a smile on their face.

As I entered the alleyway, I felt something shift inside the parcel. Although I normally obeyed my parents, for fear of retaliation if I didn't, I was quite curious as to what they were hiding from me that was contained in this package. I paused for a moment, hidden behind a dumpster, thinking about my options. If I chose to not open the package, I would be safe and sound, minus the curiosity that would bug me from time to time. However, I felt I could open it without tearing the paper, and hopefully resealing it without a problem. Though there was always the risk of tearing the parcel, which I admit, terrified me. If my parents found out that I opened it… well, I don't even want to imagine what they could or would do to me. After pondering for several minutes, I finally decided to open it. Even if it was just some berries for the pokemon, I needed to know, or my curiosity would drive me insane.

With my last opportunity to turn back slipping away, I started to work at the corners of the parcel. After several nerve-racking minutes, I finally managed to slip the package out of the wrapping without tearing it. Out of the wrapping slid something I did not expect. In my hands rested a beautiful mahogany box with silver trim around the corners. 'What in the hell…' I wondered, completely at a loss as to why my parents would pay for something so extravagant. I knew, however, that this wasn't the main event. Something inside of this box was worth quite a bit to my parents, and I wanted to know about it. Gently lifting the lid, I peered inside. Resting on an ornate stand sat a plain pokeball, and next to it, a note. I carefully grabbed the note, making sure it was safe to open. Thankfully there was no sealant on the paper itself. It read "Johnathan: Inside you will find the pokemon you requested. Modest nature, just as you desired. It will be holding the object we discussed over the phone; I trust you will be quite satisfied. Not every day you find one after all. In return, along with your payment, I will be expecting to receive copies of said object, once you've found a way to duplicate them. Respectfully: Maximus"

Although the note was confusing, I understood that whatever was inside of this pokeball was quite valuable to my parents, as well as this 'Maximus' guy. I also understood that whatever this thing was, it didn't seem that any good would befall the pokemon contained within. I started to panic, unsure as to what I should do. Do I put the box back, turning a blind eye to whatever befalls this pokemon, or do I try to protect it. My conscience and my fear battled inside of me, each trying to conquer the other. In the end, my conscience won. I knew I couldn't just let this defenseless pokemon be harmed. Although I feared my parents as well, so I knew what I had to do. I would run away with this pokemon. We can become partners, protect one another. Anything would be better than continuing the hell of an existence my parents provided. And at that thought, I realized, I don't even know what lies within the pokeball.

I glanced around, making sure no suspecting eyes were watching. After deciding it was safe, I pressed the button on the front of the pokeball, releasing what I hoped would be my new partner. As the glow of the pokeball faded, my new partner stood before me. Standing a little over a foot tall, a white pokemon was in front of me, green hair masking its eyes from my view, and A reddish horn poking through the hair on either side of its head. Although I've never seen one in person, I instantly knew what this pokemon was, and my excitement grew inside of me as I stood there admiring it as it looked around, unsure of its surroundings. With a cry of curiosity, my new friend said its name. Ralts.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: A New Home**

"Hey little guy" I said, announcing my presence. Reacting to my voice, the Ralts dove behind a cardboard box, hiding itself from my view. Obviously it wasn't used to humans was my initial assumption. I pulled my backpack off, digging through it until I found my pokeblock case. I popped a dry pokeblock out into my hand. The letter indicated that this Ralts was a modest nature, and if my memory serves me correctly, modest pokemon enjoy dry pokeblocks the most. Hoping I was right, I slowly moved to crouch outside of the cardboard box that Ralts was currently occupying. Holding out my hand, I informed it I meant no harm with a simple smile, waiting patiently as Ralts decided whether it was more scared or hungry. After a few seconds ticked by the latter won, and it slowly approached the pokeblock in my hand. Although it seemed afraid, it gobbled down the pokeblock in two bites, and after finishing, it seemed to warm up to me a bit more. Obviously hungry, I pulled out another for Ralts, advising it to slow down some as I handed the candy away, not wanting it to get a stomach ache. Nodding, the Ralts ate slower, nibbling at the pokeblock here and there, enjoying its meal.

As Ralts ate, I took a moment to examine it with my eyes. My heart sank at what I saw. My initial assumption was incorrect. In fact, it was the complete opposite. It's not that Ralts had too little experience with humans, but too much. Cuts and bruises became more evident the longer I looked, showing obvious abuse from the previous owner. Then, as if I wasn't upset already, the Ralts turned around for a moment, looking down the alleyway. On its back, I saw what looked to be a burn mark. Cautiously leaning in, careful to not spook the Ralts, I examined it. It wasn't just a burn mark, I realized. Someone branded this pokemon, some cruel person found it necessary to burn their emblem into Ralts' back. Mortified, I tried to recognize the emblem. Although I didn't know the owner, the image was quite clear, a mountain with a jagged top, with cracks running through it.

I sat there for a moment, trying to figure out how someone could be so heartless towards this Ralts. Knowing I made the right choice in freeing Ralts, I tried communicating with it once again. "Hey there buddy" I said in a hushed voice, trying to avoid scaring it "would you like it if we traveled together? I'll make sure to take care of you, and make sure you're eating properly. Would you like that?" Ralts stared at me, processing everything I just told it. After a moment of silence, it nodded its head, still showing uncertainty, though it seems to want to trust someone. Smiling ear to ear, I then asked Ralts what it wanted to be named. "How does Charlie sound?" I asked. To my surprise, Ralts made a motion with its arms, as if to form an X. "Hmm… Fair enough. How about Richard?" again, Ralts showed its displeasure with the name. With a sigh of exasperation, Ralts paused a moment, and then swept some dirt into the cardboard box. Leaning forward, it reached down, forming a symbol in the dirt. " ". After a moment looking at the crude drawing, I realized what Ralts meant. 'He' was in fact a 'She'. Chuckling a bit, I apologized, obviously annoying her that I couldn't tell the gender. Must be a pokemon thing, since I could never tell the gender by only looking at her.

"Well, let's see. What should we call you then?" I pondered out loud, trying to think of a name appropriate for my new partner. "How about Bailey?" I asked, unsure of the reaction to expect. The name, however, got an instant burst of excitement from Ralts, as she jumped up and down to show her enthusiasm. "Heh, Bailey it is. Glad to have you on board Bailey. So, first thing's first, we need to get out of here. My parents won't be looking for us until tomorrow at the earliest, so we have a pretty good head start." I informed her. She nodded in understanding, and without needing to be asked, pushed the button on the pokeball herself, allowing her to return to the peacefulness of the pokeball, for now at least. Heading back towards my bike, I decided to head to Dewford town. Although difficult to reach, I should be safe there, for a while at least.

Then a new question came to me. What should I do with my bike? It'd be nice to have it, though it seemed quite silly to bring it with me to an island mostly covered in sand. Then an Idea came to mind. What if I sold it? It was a pretty nice bike, and it was rarely used. I could probably get a nice chunk of money for it, surely enough to buy a boat ticket to Dewford. A long time ago, some guy named Mr. Briney would ferry people back and forth, but he passed away years ago. Nowadays you have to pay 10,000 pokedollars for a ticket, which slowed down the traffic and tourism for Dewford. Some more experienced trainers would use their pokemon to ferry them to Dewford, but those same trainers were the ones who could easily afford a ticket. It was a no-win situation for new trainers needing to get to the island.

Later that evening, I left the local pawn shop. The owner was a kind old man, always giving fair prices to people. He offered me 20,000 pokedollars for my bike, which was slightly more than I expected, so I was pretty happy. Money safely stored in my pocket, I made my way towards the docks. The woman in the ticket booth moved me along quickly, and after I bought my ticket, I ran on board, making it on for the last trip of the day. Departing moments later, I sat in one of the lounge chairs on the back deck, enjoying the view of the sun painting the sky a crimson red as it sank below the horizon. As my eyelids got heavier and heavier, I pondered one more time about the meaning of the emblem that was branded on the back of Ralts. Who could do that to an innocent pokemon? I prayed that I would never have to find out.

I awoke the next morning to the sounds of the captain over the speakers announcing we would be arriving at Dewford in 5 minutes. Grabbing my things, I made my way to the exit, hoping to beat the crowd, if there was one. As the minutes ticked by, I glanced at the pokeball now attached to my belt. All of this felt like one weird dream, and I could wake up any minute. But I didn't wake up, and this wasn't a dream. The boat arrived at Dewford, and before the boat even finished docking, I hopped off onto the dock, making my way to the small town. As I was getting off of the dock, a man in a red cloak brushed past me, causing me to lose my balance and almost fall in the water. Expecting an apology, I looked his way, but the only thing I received was a sneer and him telling me to watch myself before I get hurt. What a nice person, I thought to myself sarcastically.

Barely 8am, I made my way towards the general store. Thankfully I had half my money from selling my bike left, as the prices here were higher than Slateport, most likely because of the lack of cash flow ever since the introduction of the ferry. Spending several minutes looking through the store and grabbing what I would need, I made my way towards the counter. A tent and sleeping bag, some dry pokeblocks, two potions in case of emergencies, and some food for myself. The total came to 8,800 pokedollars. After paying, I went towards the location I had planned to stay at, seeing it hidden away on the map but hopefully still accessible. I went in the direction of Dewford cave, but instead of entering it, I went to the shoreline, following it around the side of the tunnel, until I made my way to the hidden location. Although the pathway leading here was only two feet wide at best, this little section of land was a good ten foot square. Setting my supplies down against the rock wall, I set up the tent in the corner, and then placed my sleeping bag inside. The blue of my tent contrasted greatly with the brown stone behind it. After that was all set up, I went and grabbed a large piece of driftwood, setting it near the tent to be used as a makeshift bench. Sitting on it, I decided now would be a good time to let Ralts out, as I'm sure she'll want to see where we'll be staying for the time being.

Throwing the pokeball to release her, she introduced herself to the world with a happy cry, as if to say good morning to anyone that could hear her. "Glad to see you're having a good morning" I told her, smiling to show my own enthusiasm for the day. But of course, as soon as Ralts and I were calming down, something had to stir us up again. I shifted my head to see what moved in the corner of my eye, only to see a Zubat, obviously having taken too long to reenter the cave; it was now disoriented from the morning sun, and looking to cause some trouble. Before I could do anything, Ralts called out, as if challenging the Zubat. "Oh great, my first pokemon battle… Couldn't this wait?" I asked aloud, directed at no one in particular.

**Authors Note: I've decided to put a quote at the end of every chapter, something that I find appropriate for the current events in the chapter. If you like the idea (or if you don't like it) let me know, i'd love to hear from you. **

_**"You said you have a dream... that dream... Make it come true! Make your wonderful dream a reality, and it will become your truth! If anyone can, its you!" ~N**_


End file.
